Legal English: Drafting, Contracts & Advanced Negotiation

Get ahead in legal contracts & negotiations - book this course now!

This full, intense and interactive 4 day Legal English, Drafting, Contracts and Advanced Negotiation Skills Masterclass course is designed to identify theforming of enforceable contracts, common drafting errors, improve and practice writing and drafting skills, practice and master advanced negotiation skills in English. In addition address current practice in key areas of English law as used in international commercial contracts. All led by an international specialist in the field by the methodology of applied accelerated learning.

Improve legal writing and contract drafting skills

• Learn how to avoid common drafting pitfalls
• Understand the structure and terms that are common to contracts in English
• Learn advanced negotiation skills (for commercial matters and dispute resolution) in English and develop an effective communication and negotiation style
• Strengthen your knowledge of complex contractual terms including indemnities, warranties and exclusion clauses, force majeure clauses in an ever changing global scenario
• Highlight selected key comparative differences between Common Law with comparisons to Civil Law jurisdictions
• Consider the distinction between direct, indirect and a consequential damages
• Courts attitude and interpretation of exclusion clauses
• Refresh your knowledge of the law surrounding breach, termination and liquidated damages, enabling you to draft tighter provisions and ensure greater protection for your stakeholders
• Share the knowledge and experience of peers from different countries and sectors

Summary of Course Content

• Drafting general contractual terms and specific clauses , hands on drafting under the guidance of the facilitative trainer
• Drafting pre-contractual documentation
• Negotiation skills, tactics, and techniques for lawyers
• Negotiating key clauses
• Forming a binding enforceable contract
• Warranties, representations and entire agreement clauses
• Liability risk protection including indemnities, exclusion and limitation of liability clauses
• Remedial clauses and damages
• Force majeure
• Termination
• Boilerplate clauses

Delegates will receive:

• Sample agreements
• Sample clauses
• Checklists

Methodology, delivery style and outcomes

• Applied accelerated training with a blend of practical learning.
• Facilitator trainer input, a range of models and frameworks, practical exercises and case studies to introduce new skills and enhanced knowledge to apply immediately
• Participants will leave with the updated knowledge, confidence and familiarity with contracts required to tackle the most important aspects of commercial contract law from formation to damages to termination and highlighted areas of potential exposure. Backed up by enhanced negotiation skills and techniques

Agenda

Day 1

CONTRACTS and CONTRACT DRAFTING

• Introduction
• Structure of Course
• Expectations
• Contract of Group

Formation of Contract

• What is a contract?
• Making a binding and enforceable contract
• 6 components
• Offer
• Acceptance
• Consideration
• Deeds
• Limitation periods

Preliminary agreement forms

• Memorandum of understanding
• Letter of intent
• Heads of Agreement
• Term sheet
• Authority to proceed
• Scope of work
• Subject to contract

Confidentiality agreements – drafting workshop

• Purpose
• Types of information they protect
• Causes of breach
• What information cannot be disclosed
• Enforcement

Structure and format of agreements

• Parties
• Recitals
• Interpretation
• General terms
• Commercial terms
• Industry specific terms
• Intellectual property
• Third party rights
• Schedules
• Execution
• Tyranny of Standard Forms

Day 2

Checklist and procedures for drafting - Workshop

• Standard terms and battle of the forms
• Style guides and best contract style
• Checklist for drafting agreement
• Contra Proferentum
• Parol evidence rule
• Prior negotiations rule
• Implied terms

Common terms and phrases

• “Best or reasonable endeavours”
• Joint and several
• “Time is of the Essence”
• Warranties
• Indemnities and limitation of liability clauses
• Termination clauses
• “Subject to contract”

Direct, indirect damages and consequential loss

• Types of damages
• Damages for breach of contract
• Back-to-back contracts
• Physical damages
• Costs and epenses
• Waste
• Loss of profit
• Consequential losses and expenses

Warranties, Representations, Guarantees & Indemnities - Workshop

• Definitions and identification
• Pointers to distinguish and negotiation
• Warranties
• Representations
• Guarantees
• Indemnities
• Entire agreement clauses

Exclusions Limitations of Liability, Liquidated and Ascertained Damages and Penalties

• Liability for personal injury or death
• Liability for late delivery, performance or similar
• How to limit the maximum aggregate damages
• Examples of limitation of liability clauses
• Liquidated and Ascertained Damages

Exclusions Limitations of Liability, Liquidated and Ascertained Damages and Penalties - Workshop

Day 3

Introduction – Negotiation Essentials

• What is Negotiation?
• Framework for Negotiation
• Simulation
• Negotiation Objectives
• Creating Value
• Maximising Value
• Claiming Value
• Examples of Value

Negotiation Strategy

• BATNA
• Reservation price
• ZOPA
• Diagnostic – Know Your Dominant Negotiating Style – And Recognise Others Style – Broadening and Adapting Your Style

Key Negotiation Behaviours

• Listening
• Asking Questions
• Body Language
• Direct and Indirect Communication
• Negotiating face to face, by phone and by email
• Power, Interests and Positions

Preparation – Developing a Scoring System

• Bargaining and Haggling
• Offers and Anchors

Day 4

Force Majeure, Frustration and Economic Hardship

• The concepts of Force Majeure and Economic Hardship
• Doctrine of Frustration
• Changing circumstances and unforeseen events
• Hardship clauses
• Defining the events
• Typical claims
• The termination period
• Re-execution/re-negotiating
• Drafting Workshop

Termination

• Reasonable notice
• ‘Triggers’ for termination
• Change of control
• Insolvency
• Surviving rights
• Duty of co-operation

Boilerplate – Sample Clauses and Pointers

• Agency/Partnership
• Assignment and sub-contracting
• Counterparts
• Entire agreement
• Insolvency and bankruptcy
• Communication notices
• Set off
• Severance clause
• Waiver

Exit strategies, Choice of Law, Jurisdiction and Dispute Resolution

• Legal basis
• Applicable law in the absence of choice
• Limits of choice of law
• Choice of arbitration; drafting of an arbitration clause; avoiding pathological clauses
• Alternative dispute resolution – conciliation, mediation and ADR
• Enforcement: The New York Convention and beyond

Questions and discussion